The classical guitar belongs to the family of plucked string instruments with six strings tuned in a series of ascending fourth and single major third making up the notes E, A, D, G, B, E. Regardless of its type, it has two parts. The body known for its pretty curve and the bridge whose role is to stop the vibration of the six strings using the bridge and pegs. The sound hole which is placed in the middle of the body help project a sweet, melodious and harmonious sound.
Level 0
Generalities and musical acquisitions
- Holding the instrument
- Body / instrument balance, tone and relaxation
- Familiarization and discovery of the instrument in correspondence with the personal musical experience of the student and the Musical Training course
- Ear training development
- Melodies with a sense of phrasing and elementary nuances (mf, f, p)
- Reading music scores
- Title of played songs
- Fretboard Knowledge: First Position Notes
- Knowledge of the instrument (name of the different parts)
- Practice at home
Technical skills
- Alternating fingers of the right hand: i,m /p +i,m(i = index, m = middle finger, p = thumb)
- Practice of “free stroke” and “rest stroke”
- Lateral movement of the left hand
- Monodic playing: simple scales, small melodies
- Polyphonic playing: simple melodies accompanied by a bass, simple chords played by the thumb
Outcomes
- Tuning the instrument (initiation)
- Concentrate before playing; become aware of the silence that precedes and follows a piece
- Feel and maintain a pulse
- Play a melody with simple basses considering the phrasing (breathing) and nuances
- Play some easy chords
- Prepare, without the help of the teacher, pieces for one voice in 1st position, in elementary rhythms
- Play in public
Level I
Generalities and musical acquisitions
- Ability to tune by ear
- Knowledge of the neck: 2nd position; 12th fret
- Playing from sheet music, sight-reading
- Notation of the musical elements of the pieces approached (notes, measure, key, rests)
- Title of the pieces played and name of the composer
- Play of melodies with a sense of phrasing and nuances, legato play
- Tonic Chord of the pieces studied
Technical skills
- Alternation of fingers: i, m, a / p + other fingers (left hand)
- Monodic and polyphonic playing (im; p and other fingers)
- Melodies in different positions, accompanied by a simultaneous single bass
- Scales on two octaves, major and minor, corresponding to the pieces studied; simple chromatic scale
- Simple arpeggios: pim, pima
- Simple chords on 3 strings (pim, ima)
- Chords on 4, 5 or 6 strings played by the thumb
- Natural harmonics
- Various methods of stopping the sound
- Basics of music theory (scales, inversion, modes…)
Outcomes
Learners will be able to:
- Pursue and develop the objectives of the Initiation Cycle
- Demonstrate their ability to follow the musical teaching provided
- Develop a method of working at home (beginning)
- Respect the chosen fingerings
- Play the pieces considering their form, phrasing and dynamics.
- Sight-read a simple melody
- Prepare, without the help of the teacher, simple melodies accompanied by an open bass or with simple arpeggios
- Play in public, solo or together
Level II
Generalities and musical acquisitions
- Ability to tune by ear
- Knowledge of the neck: 2nd position; 12th fret
- Playing from sheet music, sight-reading
- Notation of the musical elements of the pieces approached (notes, measure, key, rests)
- Title of the pieces played and name of the composer
- Play of melodies with a sense of phrasing and nuances, legato play
- Tonic Chord of the pieces studied
Technical skills
- Alternation of fingers: i, m, a / p + other fingers (left hand)
- Monodic and polyphonic playing (im; p and other fingers)
- Melodies in different positions, accompanied by a simultaneous single bass
- Scales on two octaves, major and minor, corresponding to the pieces studied; simple chromatic scale
- Simple arpeggios: pim, pima
- Simple chords on 3 strings (pim, ima)
- Chords on 4, 5 or 6 strings played by the thumb
- Natural harmonics
- Various methods of stopping the sound
- Basics of music theory (scales, inversion, modes…)
Outcomes
Learners will be able to:
- Pursue and develop the objectives of the Initiation Cycle
- Demonstrate their ability to follow the musical teaching provided
- Develop a method of working at home (beginning)
- Respect the chosen fingerings
- Play the pieces considering their form, phrasing and dynamics.
- Sight-read a simple melody
- Prepare, without the help of the teacher, simple melodies accompanied by an open bass or with simple arpeggios
- Play in public, solo or together
Level III
Generalities and musical acquisitions
- Ability to tune by ear
- Knowledge of the neck (reading and identification on the fretboard): 1st string, up to the 12th fret, 2nd and 3rd string, up to the 8th fret
- Development of legato playing and precision of the fingerings.
- Playing scales on different positions (e.g.: C Major on position 1, 2, 3, 4…)
- Cadence I - V - I
- Indications of tempo and character of the pieces played
- Development of musical expression
Technical Skills
- Monodic playing: chromatic scale 3 octaves; Major and minor, over 2 or 3 octaves, according to the keys of the pieces studied and possibilities of the learner.
- Polyphonic play:
- 2 simultaneous sounds (various combinations)
- 3 sound levels: melody in the treble with bass and intermediate voice; melody in the bass with accompaniment of simple chords in the treble- Arpeggios of 3 and 4 fingers: various combinations, emphasis of the main melody
- Chords of dyads (2 notes), triads (3 notes) and Tetrad (4 notes) (pia; pma; pima); sequence of legato chords (preparation)
- Ascending and descending legato
- Barre chords (preparation)
Outcomes
Learners will be able to:
- Consolidate the working from home
- Tuning by ear or with another instrument ( piano)
- Identify the Tonality and play the I-V-I cadence of the studied pieces
- Play the pieces by explaining their form, the indications of tempo and character
- Play some accompaniment chords in simple tones
- Sight-read songs from the previous level
- Prepare, without the help of the teacher, melodies accompanied and pieces
- Change guitar strings
Level IV
Generalities and musical acquisitions
Ability to tune by ear
- Knowledge of the neck (reading and identification on the fretboard): 1st string, up to the 12th fret, 2nd and 3rd string, up to the 8th fret
- Development of legato playing and precision of the fingerings.
- Playing scales on different positions (e.g.: C Major on position 1, 2, 3, 4…)
- Cadence I - V - I
- Indications of tempo and character of the pieces played
- Development of musical expression
Technical Skills
- Monodic playing: chromatic scale 3 octaves; Major and minor, over 2 or 3 octaves, according to the keys of the pieces studied and possibilities of the learner.
- Polyphonic play:
- 2 simultaneous sounds (various combinations)
- 3 sound levels: melody in the treble with bass and intermediate voice; melody in the bass with accompaniment of simple chords in the treble
- Arpeggios of 3 and 4 fingers: various combinations, emphasis of the main melody
- Chords of dyads (2 notes), triads (3 notes) and Tetrad (4 notes) (pia; pma; pima); sequence of legato chords (preparation)
- Ascending and descending legato
- Barre chords (preparation)
Outcomes
Learners will be able to:
- Consolidate the working from home
- Tuning by ear or with another instrument ( piano)
- Identify the Tonality and play the I-V-I cadence of the studied pieces
- Play the pieces by explaining their form, the indications of tempo and character
- Play some accompaniment chords in simple tones
- Sight-read songs from the previous level
- Prepare, without the help of the teacher, melodies accompanied and pieces
- Change guitar strings
Level V
Generalities and musical acquisitions
- Knowledge of the neck (reading and identification on the neck): 1st, 2nd and 3rd strings, all notes up to the 12th fret/ 4th, 5th and 6th strings, beyond the 5th fret, as the pieces require.
- Development of interpretation
- Sound (development of volume, search for timbres)
- Agility and velocity (development)
- Simple cadences
- Wide range of possibilities and effects of the instrument
- Chord of the 6th string in D
- Historical and stylistic notions
- Musical vocabulary appearing on the scores
Technical skills
- Polyphony: development of the ability to distinguish melody lines.
- Scales and arpeggios: more complex formulas
- Chords: 3 and 4 sounds (development), arpeggiated chords, sequence of chords in legato (development)
- Mixed legato (ascendants - descendants)
- Accents
- Repeated notes, introduction to tremolo
- Small and large barre chords (development)
- Vibrato
- Expansions
- Artificial harmonics (initiation)
- Staccato, glissando, pizzicato, percussion (tambora, golpe)
- Sonority with fingernails (beginning)
Outcomes
Learners will be able to:
- Plan work according to deadlines
- Identify the cadences in the prepared pieces
- Play the cadence in the tones of the studied pieces
- Prepare the pieces by being able to explain the logic of the used fingerings
- Propose phrasing, dynamics and interpretation.
- Evaluate the degree of difficulty of a piece, choose a piece tailored to their skills and interests
- To have deep knowledge of practicing scales in different modes and positions
- Take initiatives and propose pieces
- Prepare, without the help of the teacher, polyphonic pieces, including chords, barre, slurs, and various positional playing
- Demonstrate, in public concerts as well as in class, of commitment, concentration, presence and behavior
Level VI
Generalities and musical acquisitions
- Knowledge of the neck (reading and identification on the neck): 1st, 2nd and 3rd strings, all notes up to the 12th fret/ 4th, 5th and 6th strings, beyond the 5th fret, as the pieces require.
- Development of interpretation
- Sound (development of volume, search for timbres)
- Agility and velocity (development)
- Simple cadences
- Wide range of possibilities and effects of the instrument
- Chord of the 6th string in D
- Historical and stylistic notions
- Musical vocabulary appearing on the scores
Technical skills
- Polyphony: development of the ability to distinguish melody lines.
- Scales and arpeggios: more complex formulas
- Chords: 3 and 4 sounds (development), arpeggiated chords, sequence of chords in legato (development)
- Mixed legato (ascendants - descendants)
- Accents
- Repeated notes, introduction to tremolo
- Small and large barre chords (development)
- Vibrato
- Expansions
- Artificial harmonics (initiation)
- Staccato, glissando, pizzicato, percussion (tambora, golpe)
- Sonority with fingernails (beginning)
Outcomes
Learners will be able to:
- Plan work according to deadlines
- Identify the cadences in the prepared pieces
- Play the cadence in the tones of the studied pieces
- Prepare the pieces by being able to explain the logic of the used fingerings
- Propose phrasing, dynamics and interpretation.
- Evaluate the degree of difficulty of a piece, choose a piece tailored to their skills and interests
- To have deep knowledge on practicing scales in different modes and positions
- Take initiatives and propose pieces
- Prepare, without the help of the teacher, polyphonic pieces, including chords, barre, slurs, and various positional playing
- Demonstrate, in public concerts as well as in class, of commitment, concentration, presence and behavior
